The best group blog Algonquin College social media students have ever written

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The past few months of this course have given me the opportunity to slow down and be intentional about the content that I develop. Because my 9-5 job is highly driven by social media, it is easy to become very robotic about it.

My two main take-aways have been:

Who do you want to talk to?

What story to you want to tell them?

In reflecting and studying successful and unsuccessful social media campaigns, I think these two questions are what make a world of difference. Ideally, any interactions you have on social media should be authentic and natural (as much as possible at least….which can sometime be difficult in a business setting, but I digress).

At the very least, the main point that I think this course has driven home is that social media is a personal space for those using it. Because of the personal nature of the platform, it is extremely important to take the time to really think about what you want to say and how you want to say it. Without that “pause and think” reflex, I think there is a huge chance that opportunities for meaningful engagement will be missed.

Because I create social media content on a weekly basis, as a result of this class, my “pause & think” moment looks like this:

I am no doubt looking forward to the creative content and meaningful social media interactions that are in my future!

Several years ago, when just starting my career, I was introduced to the concept of a personal brand. I felt like I was starting with a pretty blank slate, which excited me! This was because I felt like I had the control to really think about and mold a personal brand that I could be proud of. Little did I know that the personal characteristics and character traits that I had developed years before starting my career, were the very things that would reemerge to help form my personal brand. Much like our course reading mentioned, it is not about being fake or plastic to create the what you think is the ‘ideal’ personal brand, but rather it is about being authentic and honest to create a real personal brand.

Today, when I think of my own personal brand I think of someone who is creative and not afraid of a challenge. My imagination that was cultivated since I was young has carried over to ‘out of the box’ thinking in my career. My organization has just started dealing in the business of social media over the past few years, and I am currently handling the file. In this regard, I would consider myself a social media pioneer in my organization.

The great thing about ones personal brand is that is always evolving. In the coming months, I will be a first time mom, which will no doubt allow me to add new skills and character traits to my brand.

Currently, I follow TD Canada (@TD_Canada) on Twitter. I would argue that the bank is in the business of both B2C and B2B, but they do a really good job of social media marketing to both audiences. TD Canada isn’t necessarily in the business of selling conventional retails products, such as clothes, cars appliances, etc….Instead, it is the bank’s hope that they can sell consumers on bank products such as bank accounts, credit cards, and mortgages. Making bank products interesting is a challenge that I think the company has rose to.

TD Canada does a really great job at demonstrating how their products can improve the lives of consumers. They often post a variety of different articles, photos and links that not only speak to what their products offer, but also demonstrates how their variety of bank products can serve the diverse needs of their consumers. To me, this is indicative of a company who is listening to their customers and is trying to appeal to as many of them as possible. Whether its posting about travel, in relation in their travel credit card, or having a tweet chat with a mortgage expert to promote their mortgage products, TD Canada’s post are always interesting and relevant.

The account also serves a customer service role, by engaging directly with followers who have questions. In this way, I think the brand is not only keeping their products relevant but also very accessible.

I LOVE dreaming about travel! Researching and planning every aspect of my next adventure can sometimes consume me…particularly when the winters are long and cold like this one! Last year, I had the opportunity to fulfill one of my travel dreams and go to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. One half relaxation, one half sightseeing. It was definitely my idea of a perfect vacation.

The flight was seamless, our resort lived up to the website photos and Tripadvisor reviews (thank goodness!). A highlight for both my husband, my travel companion of choice, and me was our visit to Chichen Itza (a.k.a the Mayan pyramids). It was almost surreal to stand in front of something I learned about as a kid, and had read about in numerous magazines. We toured the pyramids with a dozen other eager travelers, using a highly recommended local tour operator. Touring this historical site with such a small group really made the experience more intimate, as our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and available to answer any of our questions.

Aside from the pyramids, we also had the chance to visit a cenote and even spent some time in a colonial village. The natural beauty of the cenote, and new tastes discovered at the village (believe it or not, corn flavoured ice cream is delicious!!!) were the cherry topping to the most memorable day.

When we weren’t exploring ancient ruins or enjoying delicious Mexican dishes, we were relaxing by the absolutely beautiful ocean. Seven days of postcard perfect bliss. Sigh! I miss my vacation already!

One thing I learnt during this trip is that research does really pay off. If it weren’t for my hours of reading various travel reviews, my trip would not have been the success that it was.

It’s time for me to start dreaming about my next trip. South America? Europe? Maybe a cruise! Do any of you have any suggestions?